


Big Damn Hero

by Typo66



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: 1940's, Gen, Skinny Steve, Steve Needs a Hug, a/b/o dynamics, tiny!alpha!Steve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-05
Updated: 2014-08-05
Packaged: 2018-02-11 21:18:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2083485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Typo66/pseuds/Typo66
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve was never good with omegas.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Big Damn Hero

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanted to see what it was like for Steve when he was tiny. This is completely a Steve Rogers fic. Mainly why I love him. The poor guy is all heart. I just think we didn't get to see enough of him as the underdog. So this is my head cannon for something that happened before the serum.

It was supposed to be a fun day. They were supposed to be taking a break. Bucky had recieved a bonus from the shop and had been adament that he wanted to spend it with Steve.

"It's your free day pal! A mans gotta live a little. You work too hard. How else are you gonna meet some sweet omega?" He'd said as he'd dragged Steve out the door. It was the cusp of spring, weather chilly enough to be envigorating. Of course only if you were a young strapping guy like Bucky. It was sending out invitation to pneumonia, allergies and an asthma attack for Steve. 

In the end Steve had wrapped himself in his old, bulky winter coat and agreed to go, because he knew there would be an enlistment tent in the fair. He thought maybe this time.. 

Bucky was like a little kid when they arrived though, wanting a piece of everything the carnies had on display, not really caring how he spent his money. Which frankly, Steve thought was a terrible waste. Still, Bucky's whole face lit up when Steve accepted a corndog from him. 

Yeah Bucky made more money than Steve, not much more, but still, more. And he loved the omega like a brother, was happy that Bucky was doing better than his own miserable self. After all art students weren't in much demand especially when there was a war going on, and Steve couldn't really work in any field that required physical labor. 

It still hurt when all Bucky wanted to do was to make him happy, help him out just a little bit, when he could afford to. It hurt the alpha in Steve. When he wanted to be the provider of the two, the one who protected Bucky, give the omega some sort of solid comfort he could lean on. But it was always Steve who needed the help and the protection. He knew Bucky loved him all the same and never really even thought about their dynamic, always there for Steve, they were all that eachother had in the way of family, so of course Bucky would be there for Steve. Steve just wished he could repay the kindness. What a pathetic alpha was he that they wouldn't even take him into the army? He was always the liability.

He had spotted the tent he was looking for, at the edge of the lights. When he turned to tell Bucky he'd be back in a minute, he found that the omega was gone. 

Of course, there he was, sideling up to a woman who was shooting plastic ducks with fierce determination and looking every inch the alpha Steve wasn't. She was tall and curvy, just the way Bucky liked them, and wasn't afraid to laugh uproariously at something Bucky had said. When the women won a little stuffed dog and handed it to Bucky, Steve turned away. He wasn't jealous of him. But he sure as hell envied her. How easily she had drawn Bucky's admiring gaze, any omegas gaze... She was beautiful, confidant and capable. 

Steve squared his shoulders and marched himself to the enlistment tent. He was about to go in when commotion a little further away caught his attention. Some people were running towards the dirt road, holding up lights, someone was screaming. 

He looked back to see if the crowd had noticed but it was far enough away that the screams had gotten lost in the noise of people laughing, music and various dings and pings of the games going on. He started toward the tree line where he could see some silhouettes running toward. 

It was just after sundown, and the road leading to the carnival tents were dark, surrounded by trees. He didn't see the car in the lake until he walked out of the road and into the woods. A small crowd had gathered on the shore, a young boy was crying hysterically, trying to walk into the water to get to the car while others were holding him back. The car was half sunk into the water already but it wasn't sinking further. A couple of men were already in the water, clearly trying to get to the person the young boy was crying for. From what Steve could tell from the crying, the boys sister was still in there. When Steve looked around, even in the half dark, he could spot the tracks where the car had gone off the road, skimmed some trees and ended up in the lake. 

Then there was a creak and a groan along with the sounds of water splashing and in the dark lake Steve turned to see the car sink a couple of inches further. The men pushing and pulling at it immediately let it go.

"No god damn use. The door's stuck. If we push it further the whole damn thing is gonna sink to the bottom." One of the men said as he walked out of the water, wiping his face and beard. 

"What!? You're gonna give up? She's gonna drown in there!" The young boy started up again, "Oh god, Nancy!"

The man looked at the boy with pity, then turned to an older fella who was holding the boy. "The car's sitting on a rock." He explained. "And the girl's stuck. We gotta wait for them cutters. Need to cut the door, we can't force it." Then he turned to the boy, "She can breathe just fine. But you gotta wait, alright? We're gonna get her out." 

Someone brought blankets, a couple of ladies took the boy away to sit him down on a log as he refused to leave the shore until his sister was out. They gave the men who came out of the water blankets too and Steve heard them speak as they dried themselves off. 

"They better hurry up. I don't wanna scare the poor kid but the girl's fainted and she's half in water. Donnie tried to pull her out but she's stuck fast. We can't fit through the window. Ain't no one's getting to the wheel 'till that door is cut down."

'No one?' Steve thought. It wasn't a hard decision to make. If he didn't at least try and if the car moved and the girl drowned, he would hate himself forever. They were pretty far out of the city, who knew how long would it take for the fire fighters to even recieve the phone call.

He shucked his coat and the warm pully Bucky had given him. Then his shoes and wallet. 

"What are you doing?" One of the men called to him when he stepped into the water. It was freezing. 

"I can fit through the window." He said without looking back. In the evening, even the air was cold enough to make his teeth chatter. He took another step into the lake and ignored the way his feet went numb.

"Don't be silly boy, get back here! You're gonna tip the car over!"

Steve gritted his teeth and breathed hard. "I won't. I'm light. I can try."

There were no more objections and Steve ignored the murmurs that rose. He was a little busy trying to breathe through the cold as the water rose to his waist, then his chest. He swam the short distance to the car, his heart pounding painfully into his ribs, he could feel the cold squeeze the air out of his lungs. 

The back window was gone, Steve assumed that was how they got the kid out. But since then the car had slipped a little, leaving the backseat almost completely under water. Thankfully, the girl on the driver seat was still half out of it. Steve could see her hair floating on the surface where the water reached her shoulders, her chin dipping in.

He took a deep breath and dove under. It was still a tight fit and he had to stop in horror when the leg of his pants caught on a jagged edge, afraid of making the car slip, but then he was through and inside. He popped his head out of the water inside, right behind the girls, and coughed. He prayed that his coughing fits could be delayed just for a little while, just until he could pull the door open from the inside and get the girl out of her seat. He carefully settled his feet on the backseat and reached with trembling hands to feel what was pinning her to her seat. 

Then he realized she was an omega. Just like the boy crying on the shore. The water had washed most of the scent away but this up close, scent of omega was strong, bitter with fear and pain. 

"God.." He breathed.. There was no way of reaching to the driver side door from behind her, without risking the car moving. So for now, he concentrated on making sure the wheel or the stick hadn't caused an injury to the girl as something pinned her to the car. He felt her legs, under her floating skirt, then her stomach. It was a relief that she wasn't crushed from waist down or anything, but she must have hit her head. And Steve couldn't really reach or see her feet.

"James!" The girl suddenly gasped, as she came to, she whipped her head around to try and see where she was, where her brother was. "Oh god! Oh my god! James! What.."

"Shh.. Shhh it's alright. It's gonna be fine. James's your brother right? He's safe." Steve immediately spoke up to calm her down. She had started to flail in panic and it could mean death for them both if she kept it up.

"What happened? What.. Where am I.. " She sobbed as she tried to move. Then she choked on a short scream as her efforts wrenched something Steve couldn't see. 

"Stop! Stop, don't move!" Steve's hands went to the girls throat and collar bones instinctively, trying to give comfort and calm her down.

"What is going on..." The girl cried, "what... " but thankfully she stopped moving and settled down on her seat. She tried to turn to see Steve but the angle of their position wouldn't let her. She was really stuck.

Keeping his hands on her shoulders Steve spoke from behind her, into her ear, trying to sound calm as much as was possible through clattering of his own teeth and stuttering breath.

"You've had a little accident. Your car went into the lake but luckily it hit a rock. Try not to move alright, because right now, we both really want to stay on this rock."

The girl was settling down into hiccups, crying in fear but she raised a cold hand to grab Steve's a little painfully on her shoulder.

"Don't.. Don't leave me here," she begged. "Where is James.."

"He's on the shore. He's fine. They called for help. They are coming to cut out the door and pull you out. But hey, listen.. If you can reach the door handle and open it now, we can both get out before that." Actually, considering her scream of pain from earlier when she'd tried to move, Steve doubted that it'd be that easy. They might just have to wait until they cut the dashboard to get her out. 

If that was going to be the case, he would stay with her. She'd asked him to stay and he would. Only problem was, he wasn't sure for how much longer his lungs would be able to take the abuse. He was sure he would be laid up for a long while just for getting wet.

"I don't wanna die here.." The girl said sounding teary.

"You won't." Steve told her. Not if Steve had anything to say about it. "Tell me where it hurts. When you move. Is it your foot? Your leg?"

The girl shivered and her head bobbed, "My.. my foot. I can't move my foot. I think I'm stuck."

"Alright. Can you reach the door handle?" 

The girl let go of Steve's hand at that and then there was a little fumbling. 

"Yes, yes I can reach it!" She said, and Steve waited to see if the door would pop open. The car was already half flooded so the pressure shouldn't be a problem.

First there was nothing as she pulled on the door handle. Then she started to panic as the deep 'clack clack' of the door handle under the water picked up. The door wouldn't open.

"It won't.. It.. no no.." The girl started to furiously pull at it, panicking further.

"Ok stop! Stop, stop!" Steve yelled, when the car groaned dangerously.

The girl stopped only to burst into tears once more.

"Shh.. Alright.. Don't.. Don't cry.." Steve tried to calm her down again. "We'll figure something out. Ok? It's gonna be fine. Shh..." He tried to remember what the boy had called her, when he was crying for his sister.

"Nancy.. Your name is Nancy, right?" His teeth chattered even as he asked.

"Yea-yes.." The girl sobbed.

"My name is Steve." He told her.

"I want to go home.. I don't.. I wanna.. " The girl, Nancy, was crying incoherently, her sour fear an tears clawing at Steve to do something. But they were stuck. The door wouldn't open, it couldn't be forced from outside, and even if it could, Steve wasn't sure he could help her out without hurting her further. They'd need to wait. And Steve would wait with her. She was so, so scared. He couldn't leave her alone here, even if his lungs were seizing up. He choked back a cough, trying to force himself to breathe deeply and regularly. Every second he spent here was bringing him just a little bit closer to deadly pneumonia.

He ignored it.

"You will. You will go home Nancy." He told her and brought his trembling hands up to her neck again, willing them to be steady for her. Then tentatively started smoothing his thumb over her wild pulse just below her ear. He had never touched an omega like this before. But he was still an alpha. Sickly or weak, he was still an alpha, and he could do this for her. Until they came to cut her out.

"You will calm down now. Come on. There is no need to be scared. You're not alone. I'm here. All we gotta do is wait a little longer." He said into her ear. 

He kept talking, telling her that this wasn't her fault, that help would be there any minute now. Slowly, her pulse started to return to normal. By the time Steve could barely feel it's steady beat, she had leaned her head on the window to the side, exposing her neck for his slim, shakey fingers. 

"That's a good girl. You're so brave." He said, then he coughed, trying to turn his head away, but Nancy didn't even seem to notice how much he was struggling in the cold.

"I'm not a good girl." Her voice was subdued, regretful. But at least she wasn't panicking any more. "It's my fault. I never should have tried to drive James here... But he wanted to see the jugglers.. and the man who walks on rope. My father's gonna kill me.."

"No he won't. When you get back home he'll be so happy to see you. He'll just be glad you're both back safe and sound." Steve could guess what Nancy was talking about.

There was a long moment of silence in which they both just sat and listened to the gentle lapping of the water on the outside of the car. Steve's fingers had stopped caressing but he kept his hand on her neck. Then Nancy broke the silence,

"You're an alpha, right?" She asked. It wasn't really the done thing, asking someone outright. It was either obvious, or something you only talked about with someone you had a romantic interest in. But considering the circumstances Steve wasn't offended. Actually he was even a little flattered. No one assumed he was an alpha outright. That is, no one who had seen him. Nancy hadn't seen him.

"Yeah." He said. Then to his surprise Nancy held his hand again. Not gripping painfully this time, but firmly.

"I knew it..." she said. "No one had ever managed to... I've never been put down by an alpha before." Her phrasing was awkward and a bit embarrasing to Steve, but he knew what she meant.

"I'm sorry." was all he could say, "I meant no harm. I only wanted to calm you down.."

"I don't mind." She said and squeezed his hand. "I feel better now.... Thank you."

Steve had no answer to that. And in any case, his breath was steadily getting shorter. He could feel coughing fits rising up and willed himself to push them down.

"Do you.." Nancy started hesitantly, "Do you have an omega wondering where you are right now?"

A strong cough bubbled up from Steve's throat but Nancy took it to mean that Steve was just surprised by how forward the question was. 

"I-I'm sorry." She tried to take the question back, "You're really brave, getting stuck in this car with me.. Thanks for not leaving me here alone." She sounded tired.

Steve wanted to tell her it was alright. That it was nothing. But then her thumb was caressing his fingers and Steve suddenly realized he didn't actually know how to talk to omegas. Aside from Bucky, this was probably the longest he had ever even spoken to one. And he was getting light headed.

"No it's.. Um.." He cleared his throat of the ligering cough, "No there's no one. Oh I mean there's Bucky. He's an omega. And he's probably wondering where I am right now."

Nancy's answering "Oh.." sounded almost disappointed to Steve. It was surprising. So he went on hastily,

"But Bucky's just a friend. A good.. A really good friend but.. um he's not my omega. I don't have an.. I'm single." Steve would have blushed if he could in the water. Way to sound pathetic Rogers, he sighed. 

There was a long pause in which Steve tried to think of something to say. he didn't want to make it sound like he was trying to hit on Nancy. Not right now. This was the worst place to do any such thing. He didn't want the girl to think Steve was there only trying to help her because she was a pretty dame. 

"I'm single too." Nancy said suddenly, her voice low and shy. Was she hitting on him??

"I... uh.. " Steve tried to say something but he was too flustered. This never happened to him. And why now...? Only reason Steve could come up with was that it was because Nancy hadn't seen...him, all of him. And fear and danger sometimes made people do unusual things.

Then Nancy's hand disappeared from on top of his. 

"I'm sorry. Of course you don't care about that. I was just.. I think the way you touched me.. I just thought-"

"No, no.. It's nothing like that. I didn't think." Steve interrupted her embarrassed explanation. Then he heaved a deep sigh as he could manage and started as honestly as he knew how,

"I... um usually omegas are not exactly lining up to dance with me. That was.. that was the first time I... calmed an omega down like that."

And just like that Nancy's hand was back, her finger tips touching the top of Steve's hand on her shoulder.

"I can't believe that. You're so.. gentle. And kind."

"Not the most sought after traits in an alpha." Steve said but he was smiling.

"And brave and strong too." She said and Steve, once more, had no answer. She went on, "An alpha both kind and strong. You can't blame a girl for trying."

Steve scowled, "You're.. We're sitting in cold water in a half sunken car, waiting for rescue and you're teasing me?" He asked through a strong shiver.

She chuckled quietly, "Near death experience making me reckless? Anyway I wasn't teasing you.." Her voice went adorably shy again, "I just thought, if we get out of here alive, I might want to.. get to know you maybe? If you wanted to? The guy who sat with me through it all.."  
Steve opened his mouth to give an answer he wasn't sure about but before he could come up with anything, a shout from the shore broke into their silence.

"Steve! Steve you dumb punk!"

It was Bucky. Steve didn't know how long he'd been in the water with Nancy but it must have been long enough for Bucky to find the car crash and learn from the people on the shore that the skinny blond kid had swam into the car.

"Steve! Get your punk ass out of there before you catch your death!"

Steve wanted to bang his head on something. Instead he moved toward the window to see Bucky's figure holding a torch at the shore.

"She's awake!" He yelled back before starting to cough, not sure if his failing voice managed to carry through the glass. When he had recovered from the fit, Bucky was stripping. Then there was a splash. In no time Bucky was knocking on the glass.

"Steve... Get out of the car!" Bucky motioned toward the shattered back window. Steve shook his head.

"No. No Buck." His teeth were chattering now. "I can't leave her alone."

"The rescue team is here. Look! Look!" Bucky motioned to the shore, and Steve turned to see. Their timing was good because dark spots had started to dance in front of his eyes.

Nancy's grip on his hand tightened. 

"Steve." She said, her voice sounding scared once more.

"I-It's alright. I won't leave until they take you out." He told her. 

Men with torches and gear swarmed around them soon, pushing Bucky out of the way. They had bolt cutters, pliers and wrenches, a couple settled into cutting the door away, while several went to keep the car steady. Soon Nancy was out of the car, and after that all Steve remembered was Bucky pulling him out of the water and wrapping him in a blanket.

Carnies helped them, getting them warm drinks and opening up their trailers. Bucky made Steve strip off his wet clothes as they sat next to the stove. Steve's shivering had come back with a vengence.

"What the hell did you think you were doing?" Bucky yelled at him but Steve was too tired to get angry.

"Sh-she w-was alone, Buck." he forced out between clenched teeth. "I-I-I t-thought I c-could.."

"Big damn hero. That's what you are. " The omega spit venomously. Steve knew he wasn't a hero. He didn't even want to be. He just couldn't leave her alone. It still hurt hearing Bucky mock him for being too weak to sit in chilly water.

"You can barely come to the fair with me but you're completely fine with throwing yourself into freezing water! I can't watch you cough up your lungs again Rogers! You hear me? I'm sick of this! I'm sick of watching you get sick and not knowing if you're gonna make it this time!"

"I-I'mm s-sorry." Steve said bitterly, but then as if to prove Bucky's words his lungs seized up, then coughs were wrecking him, barely letting him sit upright. 

"Damn.. Rogers.." Bucky's arms were around him in the blink of an eye, holding him up, and soothing the hair from his damp forehead. 

"Shit. You're already burning up." he said. "We need to get you home."

Steve nodded miserably and leaned his head back on Bucky's shoulder.

"Steve.. Steve? Where's Steve?" It was Nancy's voice, coming from outside the trailer they were sitting in. Steve's eyes snapped open. She was fine and she was looking for him.

"The blond guy? In there.." Someone said and Bucky looked down at Steve with a raised eyebrow. 

Steve shook his head and opened his mouth to say something but then the door of the trailer had already swung open to reveal Nancy.

Her hair was wet and she was wrapped in a twin of the tattered blanket that Steve was wrapped in. She had dark brown hair and full lips, her intelligent black eyes glittered hopefully as they swept through the trailer. Her excited but shy smile died on her lips when her eyes passed over Bucky then landed on Steve's tiny form. 

"Steve?" She asked.

"That's your man." Bucky answered patting Steve lightly on the shoulder. As if he didn't know what a sorry excuse Steve was for an alpha. As if there was nothing wrong with Steve.

She said "Oh." 

Steve closed his eyes. There was so much disappointment in her voice it was almost like a slap to the face.

But then Bucky's hand vanished from his shoulder and a moment later there was a delicate, soft hand in it's place. Steve looked up.

"Thank you," Nancy said, her smile full of pity that Steve couldn't bare to look at, "for being there for me. You were really brave."

Steve nodded back and in the next moment she was gone.

He hung his head. He told himself it was alright. That Nancy was a kind omega. That it didn't hurt to get rejected because there was no proposal to reject. He breathed deeply and pulled himself together, then shakily rose to his feet. Bucky was at his side immediately.

"Let's g-go home Buck." He said. "I h-hate fucking carnivals."

**Author's Note:**

> Bet Nancy would be banging her head on every available surface if she could see Steve now..


End file.
